musings and meditations from an ordinary husband, father, and pastor seeking to follow Christ

the religious need to repent too

Repentance is needful for HYPOCRITES. I mean such as allow themselves in the sin. Hypocrisy is the counterfeiting of sanctity. The hypocrite or stage-player has gone a step beyond the moralist, and dressed himself in the garb of religion. He pretends to a form of godliness, but denies the power (2 Tim. 3:5). The hypocrite is a saint in disquise. He makes a magnificent show, like an ape clothed in fine purple. The hypocrite is like a house with a beautiful facade—but every room within is dark. He is a rotten post, which is beautifully pointed over. Under his mask of profession, he hides his plague-sores.

The hypocrite is against painting of faces—but he has but painted holiness. He is seemingly good—so that he may be really bad. In Samuel’s mantle, he plays the devil. Therefore the same word in the original signifies to use hypocrisy—and to be profane. The hypocrite appears to have his eyes lifted to heaven—but his heart is full of impure lustings. He lives in secret sin against his conscience. He can be as his company is, and act both the dove and the vulture. He hears the word—but is all ear. He is for temple-devotion, where others may look upon him and admire him—but he neglects family and closet prayer. Indeed, if prayer does not make a man leave sin—sin will make him leave prayer. The hypocrite feigns humility—but it is that he may rise in the world. He is a pretender to faith—but he makes use of it rather for a cloak than a shield. He carries his Bible under his arm—but not in his heart! His whole religion is a sly lie (Hos 11:12).

But is there such a generation of men to be found? The Lord forgive them their painted holiness! Hypocrites are “in the gall of bitterness” (Acts 8:23). O how they need to humble themselves in the dust! They are far gone with their disease, and if anything can cure them, it must be feeding upon the salt marshes of repentance. Let me speak my mind freely. None will find it more difficult to repent—than hypocrites. They have so juggled in religion, that their treacherous hearts know not how to repent. Hypocrisy is harder to cure than insanity. The hypocrite’s abscess in his heart, seldom breaks.